Workers assemble components of the landing area for the Sky Zip, a 700-foot zip line designed to take people from top of SandRidge Sky Trail (seen in the background) across the Oklahoma River and back again.
Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman

Towers are going up for a much anticipated zip line that will cross the Oklahoma River — just one of several new attractions and amenities being added along the increasingly popular waterway.

Last year was the first season of operation for the SandRidge Skytrail, which anchors the zip line on the river’s north shore. The skytrail also includes a ropes course, one of the country’s longest slides, and bungee jumping.

“The installation team thinks they can get the zip line vertical in a week,” said Mike Knopp, director of the Oklahoma River Boathouse Foundation. “We will then do staff training, certifications and, after that, we will start an opening of it toward late May, with a full opening on Memorial Day weekend.”

Knopp said he has encountered a lot of anticipation for the zip line, which will cross the river and connect with a tower on the river’s south shore. The zip line will allow visitors to latch themselves to the line and cross the river at a very fast speed.

“Everyone asks about it; there’s a lot of buzz about it,” Knopp said. “It’s very unique, and the view from up there is incredible.”

By late summer, stadium-style lighting along the waterway will be augmented by a series of viewing towers with specialized colored lighting that will add even more fun for those riding the zip line at night.

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Steve Lackmeyer is a reporter and columnist who started his career at The Oklahoman in 1990. Since then, he has won numerous awards for his coverage, which included the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the city's Metropolitan...